1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to providing advertisements to a viewer of a display device capable of displaying television programming. More specifically, the present invention broadly relates to the delivery of banner and video advertisements as part of an enhanced programming experience.
2. The Prior State of the Art
For numerous years, homes, offices, and other buildings have accessed television programming through airwave broadcasts, cable providers, satellite transmission, and other communication channels. Televisions provide viewers with a varied assortment of entertainment, news, advertisements, and educational programming. From the first broadcasts to current television programming, viewers gather a wealth of knowledge while being entertained. With advances in communication technology and computer systems in recent years, television broadcast viewers no longer are limited to merely watching a television screen. Instead, television broadcast viewers may participate in enhanced programming experiences through use of a set-top box or other similar device. In general, such enhanced programming experiences include those that present images or information in addition to or different from the content of conventional television broadcasts. Unfortunately, not all set-top boxes are capable of providing a viewer with an enhanced programming experience.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, numerous types of set-top boxes or devices are available for delivering broadcast programming to a viewer. Such set-top boxes range from typical cable boxes that have low local storage capacity and low bandwidth to complex set-top boxes that have high local storage capacity and high bandwidth. Each type of set-top box has its own capabilities and limits to the type of enhanced programming experience that may be presented to the viewer. For example, low-end set-top boxes may be incapable of providing an enhanced programming experience, storing large quantities of enhanced programming content, or otherwise extending beyond merely providing the viewer with a numerical representation of the channel watched by the viewer.
As mentioned above, in addition to receiving entertainment, news, educational programming, and participating in enhanced programming experiences, televisions provide an effective delivery medium for advertisements. The sale of broadcast time to advertisers is a major source of revenue for commercial television broadcasters, as is the case for national television broadcasters and their local over-the-air affiliates. Likewise, cable networks derive much of their income from a combination of the sale of advertising time and the receipt of cable subscription fees. Advertising revenue is a leading factor in the currently available diverse selection of commercial television programming. Therefore, broadcast providers continually search and identify different media for providing advertisements to a viewer, such as during an enhanced programming experience.
Typically, advertisements delivered to the viewer during an enhanced programming experience take the form of a banner advertisement. Conventionally, a banner advertisement is static with a single advertising view presented to a viewer. For example, a static banner advertisement may depict a new product with associated slogan, trademark, and the like. Although such static banner advertisements provide relevant information to the viewer, it is desirable to provide a more eye-catching or memorable experience for a viewer, thereby aiding the viewer to remember the product and/or services associated with the advertisement.
Of course, video advertisements are often more effective than static or scrolling banner advertisements. However, video advertisements require greater bandwidth than that required by banner advertisements if they are to be delivered to the set-top box in real time and require greater data storage capacity if they are to be stored locally so that they can be accessed when needed. In addition to the difficulties associated with delivering video advertisements to set-top boxes, particularly low-end units, there are also considerations associated with the timing of the beginning of the video advertisements as will be further described herein. Although banner advertisements and video advertisements can be useful in any of a variety of television viewing situations, they are particularly useful in an electronic program guide interface, an interface that displays various television options, or other such interfaces.